New Zealand's Gov. Official Wizard Fired

Ian Brackenbury Channell has served as the state appointed necromancer of Christchurch New Zealand since the olden days of 1998. But no more. The city council of Christchurch announced that it will stop paying its official wizard his salary of roughly $10,400 USD a year, in December. With that yearly income included, over the past few decades he has made a total of roughly $258,825 in order to “provide acts of wizardry and other wizard-like-services — as part of promotional work for the city of Christchurch.”

Lynn McClelland, the Council Assistant Chief Executive, told news outlets that the council made the “difficult decision” to fire their local mage because the “promotional landscape” of the city is changing and it would like to fund offerings that “will increasingly reflect our diverse communities.”

But, of course, what is more diverse than a little necromancy?

The now ex-Wizard, was predictably not happy with this decision. Saying the city council has “no imagination” and projects “an image of bureaucrats drinking lattes on the boulevard.”

Telling CNN, “Every day the world gets more serious, so fun is the most powerful thing in the world right now,” he said.

Sir Channell made it very clear to news outlet Stuff that this decision won’t stop him from being himself across Christchurch. “It makes no difference,” he said. “I will still keep going. They will have to kill me to stop me.”

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